Text2Quit is a text message program to help people quit smoking. George Washington University developed it in 2010, with technical support from Voxiva Inc. of Washington, DC. The university later licensed the program to Voxiva.
How it works
The program is automated and interactive. Its main part is two-way text messaging. Email and a website support it.
- Messages are timed around the user’s quit date. Most messages come in the days near the quit date.
- Messages use the user’s first name, top reasons to quit, money saved and use of quit medicines.
- Users can text keywords to get help with cravings, see their progress, reset the quit date or report a slip.
- The program lasts 6 months. It sends messages for the first 3 months.
Since 2011, many state quitlines have offered Text2Quit to callers together with phone counseling. By 2014, more than 50,000 quitline callers had enrolled.
Study results
A trial published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine in 2014 tested Text2Quit in 503 smokers in the US. At 6 months, 11.1 percent of Text2Quit users had quit, confirmed by a saliva test. In the comparison group, which used the Smokefree.gov website, 5.0 percent had quit. The authors called the results early and said more study was needed.
Free help to quit is also available from Smokefree.gov. See more tools in the wellness resources list.